How Does Electrical Grounding Impact Your Business?
So now, more than ever is the time for assessing the risks associated with lightning strikes! The connection to the earth or the electrode system needs to have a sufficiently low resistance to help permit prompt operation of the circuit protective devices in the event of a ground fault, to provide the required safety from shock to personnel who may be in the vicinity of equipment frames, enclosures, conductors, or the electrodes themselves, and to limit transient over-voltages.The development of a low-resistance ground electrode is of paramount importance to satisfy the goals of each type of grounding system.
Lightning-caused problems are one of the most common troubles faced by American business today. A recent Carnegie-Mellon study* showed that 33% of U.S. businesses are affected by lightning — and that more businesses are affected by lightning storms than by floods, fires, explosions, hurricanes, earthquakes, and violence.
Manufacturers of lightning protection air terminals have offered many solutions to mitigate damages arising from lightning; however, there are still adequate deficiencies in the effectiveness of lightning protection systems. Appolonov, V.V. et al., [1] stated that the existing air terminals being used currently were not always in a position to ensure the desired level of efficiency. From their studies, Norfizah, O., and Zafirah, A., [2] determined that conventional air terminals were inefficient in capturing lightning downwards leader. In the 1980s, the ESE air terminals with electrical triggering devices were introduced to provide more control over ion production at the tip of the terminal at which the electrically-triggered device produces
There is no cookie cutter approach to lightning protection and it involves more than just preventing a strike. Each situation like each installation is unique and should combine protection from lightning’s primary effects (a lightning Strike) with its secondary effects (grounding/earthing/surge). Without an all-inclusive approach and taking every aspect of vulnerability into account a facility is not truly protected. At SGS our expert consultants and/or engineers, depending upon the needs of the client, review each project taking into account all aspects and requirements of the area which needs protection ensuring that an expansive solution is provided. Working with your team we provide the client with whatever services they need to achieve complete lightning protection and success.